Indianapolis Colts' defensive back Sauce Gardner is questionable for the Sunday game against the Jacksonville Jaguars because of a calf injury he suffered in a loss to the Houston Texans. It appears as though he will miss a few games, but the Colts are treating this week to week, per Ian Rapoport.
The news out of Indianapolis is not as bad as once originally thought, as it was reported that Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner’s injury may not be as severe as once predicted.
Gardner was injured in the first half of the Colts' loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, and did not return.
Early reports say that Gardner is week-to-week with a calf strain. He is questionable for the Sunday game against the Jaguars.
Many feared he had an Achilles or ACL tear. Gardner described the pain he went through as he felt like he “got shot in the calf.”
Going into the Week 13 matchup against the Texans, Gardner amassed 13 total tackles and two passes defended in two games since being traded from the New York Jets,
“It is not a catastrophic injury. (The Colts) do expect him to miss some time, though,” said NFL insider Ian Rapoport. “Calf strains can be tricky injuries. You want a player to be 100% when he returns, so expect Sauce Gardner to miss some time, which for this Colts defense — which needs everyone — that is a tough blow.”
This rings especially true when the Colts are fighting for their playoff lives down the stretch. The Colts have lost three of the last four. The Jaguars, with their win over the Tennessee Titans, tied the Colts for first place in the AFC South with four games to go in the regular season.
The Jaguars are also positioning themselves to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC if the New England Patriots or Denver Broncos, whom they face this month, lose.
The Jaguars are in a perfect position to take over the division and control their own destiny, with a win over the Colts on Sunday.
They will play the Colts twice this month, at home against the Titans, and the Denver Broncos.
Should the Jaguars sweep those games, not only do they win the AFC South, but they could be the No. 1 or 2 seed and get a chance to host a game or two in the playoffs.
But it all comes down to the Jaguars showing up the next few weeks. They have struggled at times against inferior teams (see the Arizona Cardinals), but one of the things this team has, and they have talked about, is resilience.
But they will need more than resilience if they expect to make a run to the playoffs, but this team is capable of that.